Israel is one of the 54 countries which will attend an international meeting on water desalination in Washington October 3 to 9, it was announced here today. Arab neighbors of Israel invited to the parley include Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Egypt.
In announcing the parley, President Johnson today cited efforts by the United States to help Israel and the Arab countries get desalination projects under way. The United States hopes that needy speedy development of processes to get fresh water from the sea should help ease tensions in the Middle East arising from differences over use of the Jordan River for irrigation purposes.
President Johnson cited the study under way Jointly by the United States and Israel to test the uses of atomic energy for desalting. He said United States experts have visited Egypt and Tunisia to seek ways of desalting seawater. Tunisia will be represented at the October meeting.
Meanwhile, it was reported today that President Johnson has sent a personal message on “important international problems” to King Hussein of Jordan. Ambassador Robert G. Barnes delivered the message to the King in Amman. Details were not disclosed.
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